Change scoop



May 21, 1940. J, HARDINA' 2,201,828

CHANGE SCOOP Filed Nov. 8, 1938 INVENTOR. Jo/m Ha ra z'na Patented May 2]., i940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention concerns a change scoop, i. e. atable or tray for facilitating the delivery and exchange of money or tokens, and the making of change.

Devices of this kind have been known as coin tables or change trays: A suitable tray being rendered tiltable by way of an elastic mounting underneath, e. g. by way of a resilient arbor or stand; or it was fulcrumed below, and spring tension serves to retain the tray above in a normally horizontal position. Devices of this kind of the prior art had the following disadvantages:

The tension means were cumbersome and difficult to keep clean; furthermore they produce an undesirable pendulum effect, i. e. the tray would swing forward after it has been released; or by reason of being released from a tilted position before the coin had been removed, the tray would strew the money about in snapping back under tension.

Such devices of the prior art have the further disadvantage that the coins are apt to roll beyond or bounce over the hand applied thereto in tilting the tray.

35 Furthermore the arrangement of former trays was such, that the money in the tray would not be seen at all times, or it would temporarily disappear while sliding from the tray, so that an accurate count was rendered difficult.

The instant invention has the object of overcoming these difficulties of the prior art, and further objects will be better understood from the following description of particular embodiments of this invention, such description being however purely illustrative and in no manner limitative.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in a plan View.

Fig. 2 shows a section of the embodiment in a plan view.

Fig. 3 shows a corresponding cross-sectioned side view.

Fig. 4 is a partly cross-sectioned end view of the device.

Fig. 5 suggests a modification by way of a centrally cross-sectioned end view of a symmetrical half of another embodiment of the invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views:

A tray of this invention has preferably a concave bottom I l, with a lowest point I2 at the center of the tray. The tray is surrounded by a marginal wall I3, which arises substantially vertically from the bottom I I on opposite sides I4 of 5 the tray; but it extends in an elongated fashion,

by way of loop l5 at opposite ends of the tray beyond the said bottom, so that there are, as seen from the top, clearance openings I6 in the tray near the opposite ends, between the wall l3 and the said bottom II of the tray.

Through each of the openings I6 we see a handle I? below. These handles are fastened upon the bottom II, and are slung down and towards the ends of the tray, so as to permit convenient insertion of an upturned hand between the handle I! and the bottom side of the tray, and so that in such a case, as shown in Fig. 1, the hand substantially closes the hole or opening I6 from the bottom, particularly when it is cupped.

When the tray is therefore tilted by a hand inserted in the fashion just described, coins or tokens contained on the hollow portion or bottom II of the tray will slide right onto the palm of the hand thus extended, when the device is tilted, the loops I5 serving to prevent a rolling or sliding of coins beyond the ends of the tray and the hand. Nevertheless the tokens or coins are in plain view of the user at all times.

It may be advisable to allow the wall I3 of the tray to reenter, as indicated at I8 in the drawing, just before it merges with the loop I5. Thus we assure that coins are retained in the bottom of the tray when it is in a level position, and we facilitate at the same time the fitting of loop I5 into the palm of and its gripping by a hand extended thereunder.

According to the invention, a tray of the kind just described is suspended at the high point, above its center of gravity, the axis of suspension being substantially disposed in a vertical plane through the center of gravity when the tray is in a normal, level position. Thus the drawing shows opposite sides I 4 of the tray to be pivoted between the arms I9 of a forked bracket 20. Center screws 2| with conical points fit into corresponding recesses in walls I4 for the attainment of such purpose, each screw 2| being secured in position by a set screw 22 on one side of an arm I9, after they have been properly adjusted. When a tray of this invention is thus suspended above its center of gravity, it will resume a level or horizontal position, after it has been released by a hand tilting it in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.

In order to further secure the tray in a level position, when it is not being used, and in order to prevent undue swaying, a yieldable catch may retain the tray in such level position, the drawing indicating for such purpose a ball catch. A bore partly closed at one end and extending substantially parallel to the pivotal connection 2| is provided at a predetermined distance below the fulcrum, and retains a ball 23 pressed toward the center of the device by a spring 34, said ball reacting upon a screw 25. Screw 25 may be retained in an adjusted position in a manner similar to screw 2i, i. e. by a set screw 22. Balls 23 extend inwardly from opposite arms E9 of the forked bracket 20, and descend or snap into central countersinks 26 in flanges 21. These flanges extend vertically down on opposite sides of the bottom I! of the tray. The said Walls 2'! may be shaped or grooved as indicated at 28, so that they decline towards the countersink 28 in which case the pressure of spring 24 will coact with gravity in returning the tray to a normal, level or horizontal position.

In connection with a tray 3i of the modification shown in Fig. the margin 32 of the tray, which is otherwise shaped similarly to the tray of the other figures, is countersunk from the inside out near the center line of the tray on opposite sides. In these countersunk portions are resiliently seated pivots like the pointed ends of a resilient rod 34 which is mounted near the top of a vertical stand 35.

The ends of said rod 34 will be pushed for a short distance out from their lowest position of full insertions in the countersunk portions, as the tray 3! is tilted, so that the resilient action of said rod 34 will return the tray to a normal,

horizontal or level position, after it has been released by the user.

Having thus described my invention by way of various modifications, yet I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claim may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

In a change scoop, a tray, 2, wall surrounding said tray sidewise and endwise, a bottom in said tray downwardly closing it centrally but extending short of said Wall in an endwise direction of said tray, so that there is an upwardly and downwardly clear opening in said tray near one of the ends thereof, the top of said bottom being hollowed, and the interior of the tray above said bottom being upwardlly unobstructed, a support pivotally engaged upon said tray intermediate to opposite ends of said tray, so that said tray may be tilted ,endwise, and a handle extending i'rom the bottom of said tray downwardly and outwardly in an endwise direction underneath said opening and serving to guide an upturned hand slid thereonto underneath the tray into a position of closing the said opening from below by the palm of such a hand, when such hand is then cuppe JOHN HARDINA. 

